Clutch driven plate assembly



Jan. 19, 1943. G. l. GooDwlN CLUTCH DRIVEN PLATE ASSEMBLY Filed June 14,1939 3 Sheets-Sheet 1 Jan. 19, 1943. G. l; aoonwm CLUTCHv DRIVEN PLATE4.11s SEMBLY' 3 Sheets-Sheet 2 Filed June 14. 1939 FIIIII lill. l

Lgz F1197 dum Figa @gli INVENTOR.

GEORGE I. Gooawl/v v JMW/5:2??

ATTORN Patented Jan. 19, 1943 UNirfED stares 'r 'r OFFICE 8 Claims.

This invention relates, as indicated, to clutch driven plate assembiesfor use in friction clutches, particularly as applied to automotivevehicles or to similar adaptations where it is desirable to have asmooth clutching action during engagement. l

The primary object of the invention is to provide a clutch plate havingmeans for mounting and attachingr friction facings in proper position sothat they will be maintained in positive driving relation and, will atthe same time be capable of cooperating with and moving with thecushioning means of the clutch plate to eiect smooth action duringengagement.

Another object of the-invention is to provide a suitable cushioningsupport for one of the friction facings, which is of such a nature as toprovide a large number of points of support of such shape, position andaction that the unit pressure over the entire'friction face will beapproximately uniform whenever the friction clutch is completelyengaged.

Another object of the invention is to provide a type ofV facing mountingin which the facings are not rigidly attached to the disc but arecapable of a limited degree of movability, whereby they may more easilylalign themselves during assembly, and will have less tendency to becomedistorted out of positionwhenothe plate is subjected to heat, as duringuse in a car.

Other objects and advantages of the invention will be apparent duringthe course of the following description.

In the accompanying drawings, formingI a part of this specification, andin which like numerals are employed to designate like parts throughoutthe same,

Fig. 1 is a'plan view of a clutch driven plate assembly, embodying theinvention, with some portions broken away and other portions'omitted inorder to more clearly illustrate the construction;

Fig. 2 is a cross-sectional View, on an enlarged scale, taken on theline 2 2 of Fig. 1;

Fig. 3 is a cross-sectional view, on an enlarged scale, taken on theline 3-3 of Fig. 1;

Fig. 4 is a cross-sectional View on an enlarged scale, taken on theline4--4 of Fig. 1;

Fig. 5 is a fragmentary plan view of a modified form of clutch drivenplate assembly, embodying the invention;

Fig. 6 is a cross-sectional view, on an enlarged scale, taken on theline 6 6 of Fig. 5;

Fig. l7 is a cross-sectional view, on an enlarged scale, .taken ontheline 1-1 of Fig. 5;

Fig. 8 is a cross-sectional View taken on the line 8 8 of Fig. 5; v

Fig. 9 is a view similar to Fig. 5, but showing another modied form of a'clutch driven plate assembly embodying the invention; y Y

Fig. 10 is a cross-sectional view, on an enlarged scale, taken on theline Ill--Iil of Fig. 9;

Fig. 11 is a cross-sectional View, on anrenlarged scale, taken on theline I I- I of Fig. 9;

Fig. 12 is a view similar to Figs. 5 and 9, but

showing a still further modied form of a clutch riven plate assembly,embodying the invention;

Fig. 13 is a cross-sectional View, on an enlarged scale, taken on theline Iii-I3 of Fig. 12

Fig. 14 is a cross-sectional View, on an enlarged scale, taken on theline Ill-I4 of Fig. 12;

Fig. 15 is a cross-sectional view, on an enlarged scale, taken on theline I5-I5 of Fig. 12 and Fig. 16 is a cross-sectional view, on anenlarged ,scale7 taken on the line Iii-I6 of Fig. 12.

'inwardly from the periphery of the disc, such slots dividing theradially outer portions of the disc into segments 5, thereby reducingwarpage and distortion which would otherwise result from the heating upof the disc during normal usage.

Secured to one face of the disc I, as bymeans Yof tubular rivets 6, arecushioning springs l, each of such springs having a central flat portion8, the radially outermost portion 9 of which is bent, as shown in Fig.2, so as to lie within a correspondingly shaped but somewhat largeropening I0 in the disc I. Securedto such portions 9 of the springs l, asby means of rivets I I, is an annular facing i2 of friction material.

The springs 'l are also provided with substantially flat wing portionsor arms I3, which extend substantially radially of the disc I, and aredisposed laterally of the central portion 8. The radially outwardportions of these arms I3 are bent or displaced in a direction oppositeto that of the portions 9 of the springs to provide portions I il, towhich is secured, as by rivets I5, an annular facing I5 of frictionmaterial. To provide clearance for the rivets I5, circulary openings Ilare provided in the disc I, and openings I8 are provided in the facingI2. Similarly, to provide clearance for the rivets II, circular openingsI9 are provided in the facing I6.

Each of the springs 1 is further provided with wing portions 20 whichare bowed in a direction circumferentially of the disc I to providecushions for normally supporting the friction facing I6 in spacedrelation to the disc I, as clearly shown in Fig. 4. These cushionportions 20 are so formed as to provide supports for the facing I6,which supports increase in area circumferentially as the deflection ofthe cushion portions 20 increases under the load of the clutchengagement. In other words, the springs are so formed that at no loadthe contact between the cushion portions 20 and the facing I 6 isa lineat the high point of the curved cushion portions 20. As the compressionload increases, this contact spreads in width in both directionscircumferentially until at full compression load, the area of contacthas spread over the entire width of the cushion portions 20 of thesprings.

In a radial direction, the high points of the curve of the cushionportions 2U of the springs, that is, the Contact lines to whichreference has been made, are slightly closer to the disc I at .e

the radially inward portion of the facing I6 than at the radiallyoutward portion thereof. In this way, the facing I6, which is support-eddirectly on the cushion portions 20 of the springs, is maintained in aslightly concave condition while under no load, as clearly shown in Fig.2. The facing I2, on the other hand, which is supported against the discI, is at all times maintained in a flat condition.

As the engagement load is applied, the concave surface of the facing I6gradually becomes flattened, and in this way, the contact area betweenthe facing I6 and the adjacent clutch part, such as the clutch pressureplate (not shown) gradually increases, the increase being in a radialdirection from the outer peripheral edge of the friction facing I to theinner edge thereof.

Except as the radially outermost extremities t (Fig. l) of the marginaledges of the cushion portions 2U of the springs, such marginal edges donot contact the surface of the disc until such cushion portions arefully compressed, that is, at the full clutch engagement load. In otherwords, at any load less than the full load, all points at the marginaledges in question which are radially inward of the points t, are spacedfrom the disc I, as indicated by the clearance spaces C in Fig. 3. As aresult, the maximum resistance of the clutch engagement pressure isobtained at the radially outermost portion of the friction facing I6.

Disposed in alternate arrangement with the springs 1 are springs 1a,which are identical in every respect with the springs 1, with theexception that the radially outermost portions 9a thereof are bent indirection oppositely to the portions 9 of the springs 1, and are securedto the friction facing I6, as by means of rivets IIa, clearance holesIBa being provided in the friction facing I2 for such rivets. Moreover,the radially outward Wing portions or arms I3a of such springs are bentin a direction oppositely to the corresponding portions of the arms I3of the springs 1, and lie within correspondingly shaped, but larger,openings Illa in the disc I, the friction facing I2 being secured tosuch portions I3a as by means of rivets 15a. Clearance holes I8a areprovided in the friction facing I6 for the rivets I5a.

In that' form of the invention shown in Figs. -5,

6, 1 and 8, the cushion portions 30 of the springs 3| are similar intheir construction and supporting action to the cushion portions 2|) ofthe springs 1, but the cushion portions 30 extend radially substantiallythe entire width of the friction facings, and are somewhat narrower thanthe cushion portions 2U of the springs 1.

In that form of the invention illustrated in Figs. 9, 10 and 11, thesprings 40 are somewhat similar to the springs 3|, the principaldifference being in the arrangement of the means for attaching thesprings to the friction facings.

In that form of the invention shown in Figs. 12 to 16 inclusive, thesprings 50 are similar to the springs 40, but in this case, the rivets5I, which secure the springs to the disc, instead of having heads onboth ends of the character shown in Figs. 10 and 11, are of the doublecountersunk type. To permit the use of this type of rivet,correspondingly shaped recesses 52 and 53 are formed in `the springs andin the disc. When employing such rivets, it is not necessary to employclearance holes for the rivets in the friction facing I6.

Moreover,as clearly shown in Figs. 12, 13, 14 and 15, the arms 54 of thesprings 50 are not bent at their extremities to provide portions whichlie Within openings in the disc, as in the other forms of the inventionwhich have been described, but are secured to spacer blocks 55, whichare formed integrally with the disc. In this way, a exible mounting ofthe friction facing I2 is secured by attaching .such facing to the arms54 through the intermediary of the interposed spacer blocks 55. Theblocks'55 need not be formed integrally with the-disc, but where soformed, they are left attached to the disc by the connector portions 55.The dimensions of such connector portions are `so small that under theslightest strain, they will fail, thereby leaving the support for thefriction facing I2 entirely upon the arms 54.

It will benoted that in each case, the facings are not attached rigidlyto the disc but are flex- 'iblymaintained in assembled relation with thedisc by means of arms which are formed integrally with the springs, andwhich I therefore term spring arms. This permits the facings to moreeasily align themselves during assembly, and will cause them to haveless tendency to become distorted out of position when the plate is'subjected to heat as during use in a, car. Often. in conventionalmountings, where the facings are attached directly to the disc or to thevcushion springs or to both, there isa Vmarked tendency for the plate,when heated, to become distorted and to expand in thickness, thuscausing difficulties in securing a clean release. of the clutch. Thisresults because of the greater rate of expansion of the steel parts ascompared to the facing materials, and is overcome in the present case byproviding the flexible spring arms to which both of ther facings areattached.

It is to beunderstood that the form of my invention, herewith shown anddescribed, is to be taken asa preferredexample of the same, and thatvarious changes in the shape,` size and arrangement of parts. may beresorted to, without departing-from the spirit, of my invention, or thescope of the subjoined claims.

`Having thus describedmy invention,`I claim:

1. In a clutchplatecomprising4 a disc and a facing, a spring-"arm vforysecuring said facing lto said disc, a spacer block .between Asaid'facing and said` arm, said spacer block being formed integrally withsaid disc.

2. In a clutch plate comprising a discand a facing attached by means ofa springlarm, a spacer between said facing and said arm, said spacerbeing formed integrally with said disc and being connected to said discby a' fragile connecting link.

3. In a clutch plate comprising a disc and a facing, a spring arm forsecuring said facing to said disc, a spacer between said spring arm andsaid facing, said spacer being coplanar with said disc.

4. In a clutch plate, a disc, facings therefor overlying the face of theouter marginal portion of said disc, members each having portionssecured to said marginal portion of the disc, other portions formedintegrally with said first-named portions and shaped to provideresilient supports for one of said facings, other portions integral withsaid first-named portions for flexibly attaching saidresiliently-supported facing to said disc, and still other portionsextending into openings in said marginal portion of the disc forflexibly attaching the other facing to said disc, said resilientsupports directly engaging one face of said marginal portion of saiddisc.

5. In a clutch plate, a disc, a facing therefor overlying the faces ofthe outer marginal portion of said disc, members each having portionssecured to said marginal portion of the disc, other portions formedintegrally with said first-named portions and shaped to provideresilient supports for one of said facings, and still other portionsintegral with said first-named portions for iiexibly attaching both ofsaid facings to said disc, said resilient supports engaging saidsupported facings by contact lines which are closer to said disc at theradially inward portion of said supported facing than at the radiallyoutward portion thereof and also having marginal edge portions having apoint contact with said disc.

6. In a clutch plate, a disc, facings therefor overlying the oppositefaces of the outer marginal portion of said disc, means for movablymounting said facings on said disc including members each havingportions secured to said marginal portion of the disc, wing portionsformed integrally with said rst named portions and shaped to provideresilient supports for one of said facings, and yieldablefacing-mounting portions integral with said iirst named portions andterminating on opposite sides of the median plane of said disc, togetherwith means securing the facings to the respective mounting portions tothereby flexibly connect both facings to said disc, said resilientsupports directly engaging one face of said marginal portion of saiddisc.

7. In a clutch plate, a disc, facings therefor overlying the oppositefaces of the outer `marginal portion of said disc, means for movablymounting said facings on said disc including members each havingportions secured to one face of said disc, Wing portions formedintegrally with said iirst named portions and shaped to provideresilient supports for one of said facings, and flexible facing-mountingportions integral with said first named portions, said disc beingprovided with a series of circumferentially spaced openings, certain ofsaid iiexible mounting portions extending through said openings to theopposite face of the disc, together with means securing the facings tothe respective mounting portions to thereby yieldably connect bothfacings to said disc, said resilient supports directly engaging one faceof the marginal portion of said disc beneath one of said facing members.

8. In a clutch plate, a disc provided with a series of circumferentiallyspaced openings in the marginal portion thereof, a plurality offacingsecuring members each including a central, flattened body portionsecured to one faceof the disc, integral resilient cushioning wings onop posite sides of the central flattened portion, said cushioning wingsbeing bent out of the median plane of said central portion in onedirection, and integral yieldable facing-mounting arms, said arms beingbent out of the median plane of said body portion in opposite directionsrespectively, some of said arms extending through said openings beyondthe median plane of the disc, and facing members disposed on oppositefaces of said disc and secured to the respective arms, the saidcushioning wings being disposed between one facing member and thecontiguous surface of the disc, the other facing member lyingsubstantially in face contact with the opposite face of the disc.

GEORGE; i @conv/m.

